As with all jobs, there's some good and some bad. Unfortunately, the bad is overwhelming and comes from so many directions that I can't give a clear answer on what needs to be done to fix it.
For starters, the company is so fixated on recruiting, recruiting, recruiting that it does not consider its current people. There's an "employee appreciation day" annually that feels narcissistic in nature, like the company is patting its own back while not actually showing true appreciation for the staff. Adding even an ounce of workplace flexibility would be a HUGE improvement.
Coupled with the recruiting issue is that the company makes all efforts to make agent lives as easy as possible, even when that means that they do literally nothing. The staff routinely prints things, sends emails, and does little things that they either cannot do or refuse to do.
The benefits and compensation fall well below competitors and are pathetic at best. Without going into specifics, I can say that everything that is preached by the managers and HR is not remotely true.
There is no organization or communication between offices or corporate. Things are often sprung on us with no prior knowledge and we find out after the agents do, which leads to us not being able to answer questions where we were indicated as being the "point person" for. When we go to look for an answer, we don't find one - we find ten, all of which conflict. The same applies for company systems and tools. Granted, the company is attempting to reign in this weakness right now but, from my experiences working on it, it's just going to cause confusion and proliferate the situation.
Probably the most significant problem here is the workplace toxicity and blatant abuse of power. Many branch managers are fantastic sales agents but simply do not know what it is or how to manage people. They are micromanaging, condescending, and operate with a general attitude of "do what I say because I'm the boss," even when that means breaking laws or DRE regulations. Whenever a line is crossed, your first thought is to have a conversation with them that falls on closed ears. When that fails, you reach out to HR, who does nothing except "coaching sessions" which result in backlash and a significant regression in workplace morale.
The workplace toxicity, obviously, leads to a high turnover rate (which isn't often disclosed). I've been with the company for a year and a half or so. During that time, I've seen 3 OAs, 4 receptionists, 3 TCs, come and go. During a slightly wider window, I learned that I was the 3rd person to hold my position in less than a year. The general opinion of many of the staff I've interacted with is "I hate this place. It's soul crushing. I'm only going to be here until my one year mark." and other comments of the like. Something I find extremely ironic, considering that the company is so proud of its "Most Ethical" title - quite the opposite. When an employee leaves the company, they're badmouthed and insulted behind their back (rather maliciously), especially when they're leaving for a competing company.
EVERYTHING comes from the top down - meaning executive management. My experience interacting with them is that ALL of the issues I outline above aren't only being allowed, they're being encouraged. It is frustrating and, frankly, extremely depressing.
